A media output device is facilitated to directly interact with one or more human sensory organs, to thereby deliver the media content to the human being. For example a TV screen is facilitated to project a picture towards a human eye to deliver visual information, while speakers generate mechanical air waves that interact with a human's ears to deliver audio information. A media-rendering device is facilitated to receive multimedia, typically in some encoded form, and with optional human input process the media and generate multimedia output that a media output device can present to human. That is, a media-rendering device usually requires a media output device to deliver information to an end-user. Sometimes the media-rendering device and the media output device are integrated into a single device.
A common problem with interactive multimedia devices is connecting a media-rendering device to a media presentation device.
Media-rendering devices, generating passive multimedia, include CD-players and MP3 players for audio providing devices, and satellite/cable receivers and DVD/MP4/PVR players for audio-video multimedia providing devices. Media-rendering devices, generating interactive multimedia, include music synthesizers for audio providing devices, and PCs, game consoles and smart phones for audio-video providing devices.
The term “audio/video”, as used herein with conjunction with data type, refers to audio data, video data or both audio and video data.
Media output devices include wired and wireless head phones, home and car stereo systems for audio playing devices, and monitors, TVs and projectors for video playing devices.
One problem with interactive multimedia devices is in the communication required between a coupled media-rendering device and media output device. A number of dedicated multimedia interfaces and connectors exist for the purpose of interconnecting theses devices, ranging from common RGB and RCA for video data transfer, and SPDIF and TRS in audio data transfer, as well as AD2P for wireless audio and HDMI combining both video and audio data transfer.
While dedicated media connection interface standards exist, many media-rendering devices and media rendering-and-presenting devices lack these interfaces due to physical and economical constraints. On the contrary these media-rendering devices may contain interface that is or can be used as storage device interface. For example digital frames and portable DVD players usually can display media stored on attached USB or SD storage device but lack standard audio/video input preventing them from acting as standard media presenting device.
Power supply usually required by both media presenting devices and media-rendering devices. Battery power allows some period of operation without being connected to external power source, but requires dedicated hardware implementation in both media presenting devices and media-rendering devices, and frequent recharging by connecting to external power source. Common configuration of media-rendering device connected to media presenting device by standard multi-media interface will require both devices to be connected to external power source at some point in time.
Recent evolution of media presenting devices added them capabilities of media-rendering devices—ability to play multimedia stored on directly attached storage device. For example TV sets include USB or SD ports and allow playing multimedia that has been stored on USB or SD storage device before it was connected to the TV set. Such media rendering and presenting devices require that media to be pre-recorded on stored device before attaching it to the media rendering and presenting device.
Displaying real-time or interactive media usually requires media-rendering device capable of rendering such media connected to media presenting device or media presenting and rendering device with such functionality embedded. If some form of media rendering input is not supported by specific media-rendering device or media rendering and presenting device and those devices do not provide media input to connect external media-rendering device it should be replaced entirely in order to present that form of media. Even if mentioned media rendering and/or presenting devices has storage device input it can't be used to provide the missing functionality.
In view of foregoing, there is a need for an apparatus/system and methods facilitating the rendering of live and/or interactive multimedia content using ubiquitous storage device interface.